Biocartis Group NV (the ‘Company' or ‘Biocartis') announced that it has entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca aimed at the development and applicable pre-market notification or approval with the US FDA of a novel companion diagnostic1 (CDx) test on Biocartis' molecular rapid and easy-to-use diagnostics Idylla platform, for use with Tagrisso (osimertinib), AstraZeneca's third-generation EGFR-TKI (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) treatment. Under the terms of the agreement, Biocartis and AstraZeneca will co-lead the development and applicable pre-market notification or approval of the Idylla EGFR CDx Assay intended to aid in identifying patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who may respond to treatment with Tagrisso. In addition to FFPE2 tissue, Biocartis will seek to validate the use of less invasive cytology samples such as fine needle aspirates3 for use with the Idylla EGFR CDx Assay, to expand patient access to testing.

The new project expands the existing master collaboration agreement announced in January 2020 between Biocartis and AstraZeneca4, aimed at boosting access to faster molecular diagnostic biomarker results with the rapid and easy-to-use Idylla EGFR testing products. The collaboration was supported by the large prospective lung cancer FACILITATE study, co-sponsored by AstraZeneca. This study concluded that Idylla EGFR testing may add value in a clinical setting to generate actionable EGFR mutation results for NSCLC patients faster than routinely used methods.

In this respect, the newly signed agreement includes the investigational use of the Idylla EGFR CDx Assay to enroll patients in clinical trials at AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca is marketing Tagrisso, a leading lung cancer therapy approved for patients with resectable and locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have EGFR mutations. EGFR activating mutations are important biomarkers in NSCLC, occurring in 10-15% of all NSCLC patients in the US and the EU, and in 30-40% of all NSCLC patients in Asia.